Hong Kong: The Pottinger Hotel Visit

Hong Kong has been a metropolis for the savvy expat for nigh on 150 years. As such, it has risen to the upper echelons of luxury, high-rise city living, with a price tag that also rises year on year.

Buzzing Neighbourhood in Central

Hong Kong’s financial hub in the Central district on Hong Kong Island has exploded with a now large number of high-end boutiques, brands and full-service hotels. One such hotel is The Pottinger, a 68-room tower of unadulterated luxury.

The main entrance to the Pottinger Hotel in Central Hong Kong

When I arrive one late, humid night, I’m delighted to enter a peaceful sanctuary just moments from the ever-bustling Lan Kwai Fong, where an endless stream of locals and tourists mingle to drink cool beer and laugh the night away.

Immediately, I relish The Pottinger’s prime location. Entering through the vast glass-panelled doors, strangely located on Stanley Street, on the corner of Pottinger Street, I’m in a world of subtle colours, calm lighting and endless smiles.

Just two meters outside and you’re in a scene from Blade Runner, and to stroll into such a calm place in the middle of Central is a welcome delight.

My room, a studio suite on the 19th floor, is everything you would expect from a 5-star hotel in one of the most expensive cities in the world, albeit slightly on the small side, but it’s Hong Kong and everything is compact.

Pottinger Hotel’s Panoramic Views

What I notice first is the floor to ceiling glass walls that offer panoramic views of Central, views you wouldn’t find anywhere else. I sit on the cream chaise-lounge and simply stare out in awe at the megalopolis surrounding me.

This bathroom also has tremendous views all over Hong Kong.

The room itself is bright and clean with a kingsize bed. The bathroom, which is almost the same size as the living room, takes advantage of the views as it’s effortlessly positioned with yet more windows.

Interestingly, whilst it has all the elements of a market-leading, full service hotel, The Pottinger Hotel also creates a boutique atmosphere that is warm and welcoming.

Award Winning Boutique Hotel

So it’s little wonder that The Pottinger Hotel won Asia’s Best City Boutique Hotel Award when it opened back in 2014.

That said, it’s still slightly surprising that The Pottinger Hotel doesn’t have a spa, swimming pool or gym, but this is Hong Kong, where a single square meter costs a staggering $25,000, so it’s more than understandable (maybe).

Heading down to the first floor through the restaurant, Gardini, and out onto the bar terrace with a cold beer in my hand, I gaze over another endless Hong Kong vista, down past Central MTR Station and further across Victoria Harbour.

Regarding food, the Pottinger Hotel creators clearly understood its prime location, where hundreds of fine eateries line the streets around, so other than breakfast, which incidentally isn’t included in the room price, you’ll most likely find yourself eating out.